Te manu tukutuku – Māori kites with 9KLe

 

Māori kites are known as manu tukutuku or manu aute. Manu is the word for both bird and kite. Tukutuku refers to the winding out of the line as the kite climbs and aute is a type of bark that could be used to make kites. Kites were seen as connectors between heaven and earth and were often flown at this event, especially on the first day of the New Year.  Kites were often flown at Matariki, but also at other times:

They were used to work out what the gods wanted the people to do. They were a way of sending messages to people far away, both to living people who were far away and people who had died. People had kite flying competitions. They were used to celebrate things, like Matariki. Children played with them.

Kites were flown for recreation, but they also had other purposes. They were used for divination – to gauge whether an attack on an enemy stronghold would be successful or to locate wrongdoers. They were also a means of communication. It is said that when the founding ancestor of Ngāti Porou, Porourangi, died in Whāngārā, on the East Coast, a kite was flown and his brother Tahu, the founding ancestor of Ngāi Tahu, was able to see it from the South Island. Sometimes people would release a kite and follow it, claiming and occupying the place where it landed.

This year yr 9KLe got an opportunity to make kites at Whare Nui with Whaea Ruihia. They participated really well and enjoyed it. They really like to learn new things and were excited to finish their kites.

Materials

The frames of larger kites were usually made from selected lengths of mānuka (tea tree) and split lengths of kareao (supplejack). Smaller children’s kites were made from the stems of toetoe, kākāka (bracken), and various types of rush.

The coverings of large kites were fashioned from bark cloth made from aute until the plant became virtually extinct. Subsequently, raupō (bulrush) leaves or the leaves of ūpoko Tangata (cutty grass) were used. Flying lines known as aho tukutuku were made from a fine twisted cord made from muka, the fibre of the flax leaf.

Decoration

Kites were decorated with feathers, shells, carved faces, and coloured patterns drawn with black or red pigments from charcoal or clay mixed with shark oil. Some kites featured long feather tails known as pūhihi, attached to the lower end or wingtips. Others were decorated with horns, and some had shells held inside a hollow mask that rattled during flight. Some kites had a ring, called a karere (messenger), made of toetoe leaves or wood, which was blown by the wind up the line towards the kite.

Matariki celebration 2021

 Matariki, also known as Māori New Year, is a time for celebration, growth and renewal. It's a chance to get together and remember whānau who have died, share food, tell stories, sing and play music. Matariki is the Māori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. It can be difficult to see Matariki clearly from some parts of the country, so some iwi uses a different star as their signal. The tribes of Whanganui, Taranaki, parts of the Far North, and parts of the South Island recognise the rise of Puanga (Rigel in Orion), which appears around the same time as Matariki. The rise of Matariki in the winter skies above Aotearoa is an important time in the Māori calendar, as it signifies the start of the Māori new year. 

For Māori, astronomy was interwoven into all facets of life. Experts would observe the night sky, charting star and planet movements, the relationship of the stars and planets to the moon and sun, while also noting what was happening on the whenua (land) and in the Moana (ocean), lakes and awa (rivers). All of these celestial star beings were attributed qualities and named accordingly, and their stories were woven into the history of the people. Historically, new year celebrations provided the opportunity for whānau to come together to acknowledge the year gone by, prepare and plan for the year ahead; to celebrate with kai, kōrero, ceremony and entertainment.  For a time, these celebrations were only acknowledged and celebrated by iwi, but at the beginning of the 21st century, a cultural renaissance occurred, making knowledge of this special time of the year an important part of New Zealand’s history. Today, everyone in Aotearoa has the opportunity to celebrate the unique places we live in, show respect for the land we live on, and share and grow together through traditions that continue each year, with the support of kaupapa like the Matariki Festival. 

Matariki is one of the famous festivals celebrated in school. Matariki starts with a dawn ceremony and most of the teachers and students participated in that ceremony. After that, a full week was Matariki week and celebrated by different activities. Such as Matariki quizzes, Kite making, Fashion shows, Food and singing. Teachers and students participated in different activities and enjoyed this week. 

Matariki decoration at Staffroom

                                Matariki Cake for staff lunch

International languages week(ILW) 28 June to 2 July

 International Languages Week is an annual event held in New Zealand to promote language and culture from around the world. Learning an international language encompasses much more than language proficiency. Knowing an international language means knowing about the culture that is the foundation of that language. 

This special week provides an opportunity to showcase, learn, and promote the diverse languages and cultures in our schools, communities, and nation. This year Tamaki school celebrate an international language and this was a very good opportunity for all of the teachers and students to participate and reflects their culture,, traditional and rituals of a country. The week starts with the introduction of different countries that we were celebrating the whole week. Such as India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Colombia, Malaysia, South Korea, South Africa, Egypt, England, Philippines. On the first day, different teachers came and introduced their countries. Then, students from different countries and presented their countries in their own language. It was very beautiful everyone enjoyed it. Moreover, it was a great opportunity for a teacher as well as a student to know about the country and its language. 

I represented India. I prepared a slide show on different languages, cultures and religions of India, along with this, Indians states, food, dresses and marriage rituals. In the end, I planned Indian dance moves for teachers. Everyone really liked dance and participates really well while dancing. 

On Wednesday, we had different countries stalls in the auditorium. Teachers and students brought different things that belong to their country and put them in stall. Different classes visited stalls at different times and enjoyed and appreciated it. On Thursday, we had a shared staff lunch and everyone brought a plate of food that belongs to their country. And on Friday we had an inter-house dance competition with different houses. Students participated really well and enjoyed dance steps and music.

   Cultural stall representing South Africa

                 Malaysia Stall

Indian Stall

       Phillipines Food

                                   Staff lunch  decoration

South Africa dessert